medley

plural medleys

1. archaicCombat, fighting; a battle.First known use 14ᵗʰc.

   For greater shields they have, than that they can either doe or see ought, and being raunged by hundreds no doubt they will hinder one another in the medley, except some very few

   1632, Xenophon, translated by Philemon Holland, Cyrupaedia

   1 more example

   Thenne came the kyng of Irland and the kynge of the stryete marches to rescowe syre Tristram and sire Palomydes / There beganne a grete medle / & many knyghtes were smyten doune on bothe partyes / and alweyes sir launcelot spared sir Tristram / and he spared hym

   1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “lxxj”, in Le Morte Darthur, book X

2. A collection or mixture of miscellaneous things.First known use 17ᵗʰc.

   a fruit medley

   2 more examples

   this medley of philosophy and war

   1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 31

   Love is a medley of endearments, jars, / Suspicions, reconcilements, wars.

   1692, William Walsh, Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant

   Synonyms: macédoine

3. entertainmentA collection of related songs played or mixed together as a single piece.First known use 17ᵗʰc.

   They played a medley of favorite folk songs as an encore.

4. hobbiesA competitive swimming event that combines the four strokes of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.First known use 20th c.
5. A cloth of mixed colours.

   Otherwise , as our Saviour noteth , when the old Cloth was joyned to the new , it made no good medley , but the Rent was made the wors

   1631, Thomas Fuller, Comment on Ruth , Chapter 1, verses 9, 10, 11

present singular third person medleys · participle present medleying · participle past medleyed · past medleyed

1. entertainmentTo combine, to form a medley.

plural Medleys

1. countableuncountableA surname.
2. A place name:
   1. countableuncountableA town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.
   2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Grant County, West Virginia, United States.
   3. countableuncountableA community in the city of Cold Lake, Municipal District of Bonnyville, Alberta, Canada.